Buddpole, large coils, TRSB

[Manual Garcia O'Kely]

I've been turning my BP into a true dipole with the large coils and 9.5' whips, and in Yosemite a week ago, I set up on 80 meters and was happy with the results for NVIS signals on 80. This was with the 8' mast that comes with the deluxe package.

I also used the TRSB which on this band at this frequency likes a 2:1 setting.

If you bought just the BP w/out the tripod and mast, and used a painter's pole with a sleeve on the RV ladder, you could easily get this thing 20' into the air and the bandwidth on 20 with the big diameter coils is nearly full band on SSB, and adequate if you don't go jumping around a lot on 40 and 80.

You can buy the center Tee, the painter pole adaptor, arms, coils, whips and TRSB all separately.

[N7OQ]

I have the Buddipole and really like it, I bought just the antenna and now wish I had bought the deluxe. I now have purchased the longer whips, the rotating arm kit, and more clips, use it on a paint pole that is to flimsy for the antenna. If I set it up next to the trailer it just doesn't work as good so I'm going to buy the tripod so i can get it away from the trailer. I also have all the parts to make my own TRSB just need to take the time to wind it and get it going. I really think the antenna should come with that Balum, with out it you get to much RF down the outside of the coax, the few toroids at the antenna end of the coax is not enough, I have to add half a dozen clamp on chokes to get rid of the RF or coil most of the coax to choke it out.

I think after I buy the tripod I will also get the low band coils. All in all a nice antenna.

[Andy N1ORK]

Ok, I know about rf chokes that you can wind near the feed point of an antenna and loading coils and the such. But what is an TRSB?.......OK, skip that. I just looked it up on the B'pole site. It is a Triple Ratio Switch Balun (TRSB) and it's very expensive. Do you think it would help a 20m or 80m 'Hamstick' dipole?

[Manual Garcia O'Kely]

Yea, none of the BP stuff is exactly cheap, IMHO, but when you consider the production volume, I suppose it's OK.

The TRSB is just a balun with variable radios - there's no reason you could not wind your own and save some cash, it's just easier to tune with a twist of the switch, plus you only carry one device.

Perhaps a better grade of painter pole? Or maybe one of those trick MFJ fiberglass masts?

[N7OQ]

Ok, I know about rf chokes that you can wind near the feed point of an antenna and loading coils and the such. But what is an TRSB?.......OK, skip that. I just looked it up on the B'pole site. It is a Triple Ratio Switch Balun (TRSB) and it's very expensive. Do you think it would help a 20m or 80m 'Hamstick' dipole?

In this case it is a combination of a Balun and a UnUn. If you want to build one here is the site that shows you how. http://www.qsl.net/wb6zqz/trb/ This is the Guy who came up with the design that Buddipole used they just added a switch and a nice case. The Toroid cores are f-125-K 2 each that you can but from these guys http://www.bytemark.com/products/fertabmat.htm along with he wire and fiberglass tape. I have all the parts sitting on my work bench just got to make a PC board and put it all together.

This balun would work well with any shortened dipole because the the feed impendence for a dipole using coils is usually much lower than 50 ohms more like 25 or 12 ohms so it would help get a better match and should increase the band width plus it helps keep the RF from coming back down the shield of the coax. What Buddipole does to get past this problem without a balun is to feed it off center, that is why one coil has mote turns on it than the other one, but it is much better if you can match the natural impedence of the antenna.

So many projects to build and so little time to do it.